I retired at 55, and this blog describes my experiences, observations and feelings about retirement.

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Shifting

With time and a quieter pace, I find myself more observant of shifts and changes. After a lifetime of cramming as much as possible into a single day or racing to bring a project in on time, I am breathing again. While working I always wanted the pace to slow down so I could have time to think. Finally after taking a break from a 34 year career, I finally have time to think and reflect.

Vacation was a major reset button for me, and since then I noticed I have a "go with the flow" attitude about many things...

Last Saturday I rode my bike for the first time at night! We were busy during the day, and the first time we could get out was about 8:30 p.m. Of course I had to break thru that mantra from childhood of 'don't ride your bike after dark', but it was so worth it! The evening sky was filled with stars, and it felt like we had the whole world to ourselves. I was able to avoid scrapes with the help of my new bike headlight/flashing light and my memory of where the patches of gravel were located in the neighborhood.

Mike and I had a 16 mile bike ride last week somewhat by accident. We rode our bikes to DMACC (Des Moines Area Community College) and then into Ankeny where Mike convinced me to head to the High Trestle Trail. If we had discussed a 16 mile ride before we started, I would have said that was too far, and we weren't ready. But we made the decision on the fly because it was a beautiful night and we felt great. Of course I haven't lost my penchant for lists, and I'm tracking our exercise...so far 69 miles of biking in March. Who would have ever thought this was possible in March in the Midwest???
I still feel the need to accomplish something each day, and although this usually means lots of house stuff, sometimes it can be fun stuff too. Although yesterday it could have been unpacking boxes at Mike's house, it instead meant finishing a new purse that I designed and constructed out of old jean pockets. The purse turned out great, and I realize that I'm so happy when creating something new!

And I am finding that clocks and schedule are highly over rated. We are very flexible about schedule depending on what is going on that day. We stay up later than ever and awaken later than working days. We eat when we are hungry instead of at a scheduled meal time. Of course that often means finishing a bike ride or walk right before dark and eating dinner around 9pm. Hey, this seems to work!

Lately I've been noticing more of nature's show. Flowers have been magnificent this year, and I've had time to take out my camera to capture the colors. The birds have been singing a lot this Spring. Like us humans they are likely amazed at the warm temperatures this March! Breaking heat records daily for the past week, our minds go to global warming...

I am learning to accept and value the differences in how Mike and I each tackle tasks. He spends time researching, reading reviews and analyzing many options before picking a path. I think about cause and effect, options, time and cost and quickly make a decision. Although these differences lead to some spirited discussions, our styles work for each of us. It's not likely that either of us will ever change, and so I'm letting go of a need to convince him to move faster. That along with our own separate tasks creates a more harmonious environment :)

Last Saturday we enjoyed a great St. Patrick's Day party in downtown Indy. We got to hear one of our favorite local bands, Chris Shaffer and The Why Store while enjoying watching crazy people in green clothes. No doubt about it, people were having fun!

And I am also learning that multi-tasking isn't always a good thing especially if you miss the sights and sounds around you...

And since I've let go of my heavily scheduled work life, I missed my own goal of publishing a blog entry each week. But I think that's just fine...

About Me

My name is Diane, and I recently retired. I am exploring life after working for 30 plus years in banking and insurance. I love writing and photography, and I thought writing a blog about retirement would be a great way to chronicle this new chapter in life. And I'm starting to get used to the label "retiree", well sort of...